


Seriously?

by Theee_cat



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, LGBTQ Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 00:38:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18884557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theee_cat/pseuds/Theee_cat
Summary: Emma and Regina finally try seeing eye to eye when Regina decides to change for the better. But Regina has a huge secret that nobody can know about. When Emma starts questioning her feelings for Regina, a closer bond is formed between the two a certain secret might let slip and their relationship changed."Seriously?"





	1. Chapter 1

Once Upon A Time...

 

Ok I ain't starting with that fairytale BS

Kidding ;)

\-----------

"Alright"

Emma slid herself into the booth sitting across from Regina. Regina had her hands clasped together resting on the table. She was starring out the window as the small town went about their day-to-day business. Emma getting herself comfortable on the seat. She looked up at Regina who now had moved her glance to Emma. 

"Morning."

"Morning, Madame Mayor. What's new?"

Regina then proceeded to tell Emma about the town's business, who to keep an eye out for and who was acting suspiciously. The two ladies also chatted about Hook and Regina advised that he should definitely be kept an eye on. Emma shrugged and agreed not wanting to start an argument with Regina. As they begin to finish up the brief meeting Regina added,

"Oh and Emma."

"Yeah?"

Regina looked up to the ceiling briefly before shutting her eyes, hating herself for asking Emma for such a ridiculous favour.

"I recently had a pool installed in my back yard for mine and Henry's enjoyment, not that you needed to know why." Regina's voice trailing off on that last part. Emma continues to stare blankly at the mayor.

"Anyway, the pool needs a check over and someone is coming Thursday noon to inspect and filter the pool. Unfortunately, I already had another meeting scheduled that I cannot get out of, and I don't have many people I could ask for this." Regina sighs. "Would you mind being at the house when they get there to watch over. You don't have to be outside, just....keep an eye on them for me. Please. I'm only worried because I know what the town people are like with me."

"Who the hell cleans pools for a living in Storybrooke?" Emma laughed.

The mayor just shrugged and said that it was organised and had no clue who was going to show up, hence the reason she wanted someone at the house. Emma smiled at the mayor before reasoning with her that she gets to spend Thursday night with Henry which Regina surprisingly did not argue with. The ladies both got up from their booth and exited the diner together, keeping each other entertained with small talk until they parted ways on the pathway. Emma thinking to herself that that was one of the best meetings she'd had with Regina. She didn't argue, she didn't complain, there wasn't any eye rolling, looks of boredom or glaring.  Maybe she really does want to change. This is one instance with Regina that went well don't push your luck, Emma told herself. 

\-----------

Thursday rolled around rather quickly. 

Regina was walking out of the house at 10:02 am and towards her Mercedes, backing out of her driveway and out of the sight of the house. Emma rocked up to Regina's house at 11:45 am, to make sure she wasn't there for too long. She walked through the house to the backyard, glancing around and noticing the newly furbished pool. Nice, Emma thought to herself whilst raising an eyebrow. Bit weird that the mayor has just decided to get a pool when she's been living here for like 30 years? Emma walked back to the lounge room, pulled out Henrys PS and browsed his games, settling for the one she persuaded Henry to buy, 'The Sims'. Although he was never actually fond of it, Emma certainly used it as something to take her mind off all of the drama. About 20 minutes later Emma heard the side gate creak open. She took her eyes off the tv and quietly hopped up off the couch. Emma was curious to see who cleaned pools in Storybrooke. She ducked down underneath one of the windows waiting for the person to come into view, being very cautious not to be spotted. Once she heard footsteps past the window she took a quick glance above the window sill and was disappointed when she realised it was someone she didn't recognise. Probably just one of the villagers. Emma then got back up when she realised she didn't really need to creep around anymore. 

Half an hour had gone when she heard the gate creak and bang shut, starling Emma who was comfy on the mayors black leather couch with the controller in her hands, lost in the Sims game which was displayed on a large tv. She got up and moved to the front of the house, watching the unknown person leave the driveway. Emma walked through the house into the backyard, giving it a quick scan to make sure nothing she knew that was there beforehand had been moved from the property. She then walked over to the pool and quickly dipped her hand into the clear water. 

She could smell something strange, realizing it was the pool water.

"Salt?" Emma quietly said to herself. Why would she have a saltwater pool, when she could use chlorine instead? It would be so much easier to keep clean. Emma gave a look of confusion to the pool then shrugged it off. She then went inside, saved and logged off her Sims game and locked up the house, walking around the side to make sure the side gate was shut properly. She then hopped into her bug and drove to Grannys to pick up a grilled cheese for lunch before heading back to Mary Margaret's place, hoping to find something to kill time before she picked Henry up from school at 3. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> I promise guys there is SwanQueen stuff coming!! I am just setting the scene first as I have a plan!  
> *evil chuckle*
> 
> Enjoy...seriously ;)

Wrappers, crumbs, an empty pizza box, Coke bottles and an assortment of half-opened chip packets and lolly bags litter the lounge room in the apartment of Emma and Snows. Emma is laid back on the couch, slowly nibbling away at her packet of chips and Henry is leaning on Emma with an empty sprite bottle in his arms. It is now approaching 9:30 pm when they are close to finishing the third Harry Potter movie. Henry has his eyes glued to the tv whilst Emma glances up at the clock ticking the seconds away on the wall.

"Oh kid, I need to have you home by ten! How long does the movie have left to go?"

Henry slowly arises from his trance and finds the remote on the couch's arm. Reaching out, he pauses the movie on a picture of Professor Lupin and Sirius fighting all out werewolf and dog form.

"It only had 20 minutes left, can we finish it?" Emma sighs and nods. A thought crosses Emma's mind taking her thoughts away from the movie which had just resumed.

"Hey, kid?" Henry nods signalling he is listening. "Does that book of yours have any stories of people turning into animals or magical creatures? Like, other than Ruby," Emma turns her head from the tv to face Henry. "And maybe Maleficent turning into a dragon," Emma adds with a laugh. He looks away from the tv giving thought to this.

"Hm, not that I know of. You could probably do it though if you wanted to, kinda like how an animagus transforms themselves. You could ask Mr Gold or even my mum and they might be able to help you learn if you wanted to!" Henry begins to feel excited that Emma is bringing up the use of magic again. Emma thinks about this.

It would be cool to be able to transform into an animal at will. An animal you could use to protect yourself or to play pranks on people with. You could breathe underwater or even fly.

Before Emma becomes too carried away she glances at the clock again and gets up from the couch, walking to the kitchen to find a bin bag and quickly starts clearing the mess the two left stranded around the room.

When the movie finishes, Henry sluggishly gets up off the couch and starts collecting his things to head back to Regina's house. Emma has finished cleaning the room, making sure to leave no evidence of their existence so Snow isn't annoyed with any mess in the morning. Emma and Henry quickly scramble out of the apartment, trying to be back before Henry's curfew and before the mayor chucks a fit at Emma for bringing Henry back late.

Emma's bug pulls up abruptly outside the mayor's house. Henry awkwardly reaches over to give Emma a hug before opening the car door to exit. Before Henry shuts the door he peers his head back into the car and quietly says to Emma,

"Oh and I'll look into that animagus thing you asked me about. It'd be cool if you could turn yourself into any animal you wanted to, and, I want you to start challenging your magical ability. We all know what Gold and the Queen can do. Let's see what the Saviour can do. Here marks the beginning of Operation Werewolf!" Henry smiles at his mum.

"Operation Werewolf?" Emma questions. Henry just shrugs giving Emma another smirk and shuts the car door, running up to the front steps of the house and out of view behind the front door, giving Emma a final wave. Emma waves back from inside her bug, before heading home again. 

\------------------

It had been two days since Emma had spent the night with Henry watching a mini Harry Potter marathon. Saturday. Emma sat at her desk at the Sheriff's Station, reading a newspaper with her feet up, crossed over on the desk, eating away slowly at an apple. A door slamming awakes Emma from her daydream and she quickly sits up bracing herself for whatever hell just entered the room. Regina quickly appears at the doorway giving Emma a weak smile.

"Sorry about that, the door slipped out of my hand." Emma settles realising that Regina is being sincere about this. "I actually had a question for you, Miss Swan." Regina pauses once Emma has put the paper on the desk and offers her attention to Regina. "Henry, seems to be reading his book more than usual again, almost as if he's looking for something in particular. Then, he came to me yesterday afternoon questioning the abilities of someone who had magic, if we had the ability to turn ourselves into random animals at will. I wondered if you knew anything about this?"

Emma was clearly taken aback as the mayor clearly knew about an operation that Henry started.

"So you do know something?" questioned the mayor as she studied Emma's expression.

Emma started stuttering as she didn't quite know what to tell Regina, whether to tell her about Henry's previous conversation about animaguses or whether to play down Regina's comment, saying that perhaps she's not surprised that Henry has another curiosity growing given his family's magical background and the fact that the whole original curse theory turned out to be true.

"I, uh, it was just something I questioned Henry about the other night. We were watching Harry Potter and I asked if he knew anyone that could, ah, turn themselves into an animal at will. I didn't think he'd keep going on about it." Well, that was half true. Emma did, in fact, know full well that Henry had started yet another operation. Regina nodded before turning away towards the door. Emma began wondering if she should've said something different when the mayor turned back around and faced Emma.

"Can you turn yourself into an animal?" Regina asked curiously.

"What, no!"

"Well I can't either but it seems Henry has stirred something inside of me. Would you be interested in assisting me in figuring out if it can be done or not?" Regina half hoped that Emma would be as interested as she was and join her on this ridiculous mission.

"What like, we teach ourselves how to turn into animals?" Emma felt puzzled that Regina was even thinking of looking into this, like quite seriously too it appeared.

"I wouldn't ask you, Emma, if I wasn't being serious." Regina hardening her tone slightly, to show Emma she would be doing this with or without her help. She already had her own problems to deal with facing a similar issue and needed answers either way. She was in no way, however, prepared to share the secret of why she needed answers with anyone. Emma sat up straighter in her chair, feeling herself swallow. Regina had every intention in going through with this, Emma was just trying to work out whether or not this was a good thing. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine, I'm in."

\----------------  
Sunday 10 am and Emma is walking herself towards Regina's vault. Regina already standing outside in her long black overcoat with her hands resting in her pockets. Emma gives Regina a nod before they both proceed inside the vault together.

"We're only doing this in my vault because we don't need the town asking us why there are explosions going off in my office." Emma becomes startled, quickly looking up at Regina with widened eyes and a concerned look on her face. "I'm kidding Emma." Regina chuckling at her previous comment. Emma trying to smile at Regina's comment but also recognising that they're both about to enter a completely different zone: the game of experimental magic. Regina had fiddled with her powers many years ago in her own realm with some of her own successful custom magic being created, however, Emma obviously still getting used to her own capabilities, was just a tad nervous. Especially since her partner in crime had previously tried to kill Emma, and basically anyone she was related too, except Henry of course. As they finally finished descending the steps below the coffins entrance, Regina immediately finds her way over to her library of books containing magic spells, potions and anything out of the ordinary.

"What are you looking for?" Emma asks.

"Anything that might give us a hint of where to even begin with this. Or a warning telling us not to bother starting." Regina responds, dusting off pages as she flips through looking for anything she can use. "You can start with this book if you want. Just look for anything that mentions either animals or transformations." Emma attempted to read the title before realising it wasn't even in English. She opened the book thankful she could at least read it's contents.

An hour later Regina has set a plastic cup on fire in hopes of turning it into a rodent, a solid candle into melted wax trying to create a fish. But it was, to both their surprise, Emma who had had the most success, giving an old and empty jewellery box some sort of a tail to which Regina replied

"Well, that's a start," chuckling at the squirming tail. Emma finally felt like she had done something right for a change.

"Oh well, I think that's enough of a start for one day. Please don't mention this to anyone, including Henry, if we accomplish this, it would an ideal surprise for him." Regina said to Emma whilst packing away her books into there shelves. Emma nodded and thought to herself:

At this point its a miracle that were working together again, that would be enough of a surprise for Henry.

They began up the stairs, carefully reinstalling the coffin in its place of guard, exiting Regina's vault and standing outside, a chill now hanging in the air. 

"I'll see you tomorrow Miss Swan?" Regina turned around to Emma, her hands in her pocket and a more professional atmosphere taking place between the two again.

Emma replied with a small smile, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

"I bet Gold could do this a hell of a lot easier than us" Emma complained as she turned her 3rd piece of paper into ashes, rather than an insect.

"Someone's a bit annoyed" chuckled Regina, looking over at Emma before turning back to her own work. Emma rolled her eyes at Regina's remark, grabbing the dustpan and brush, sweeping up the crumbling mess. This was there 3rd day trying to work out how to turn an object into a living creature. And the most success they'd had so far was still Emma's. After the first day, their attempts only seemed to get worse. Regina sighed and placed down her goblet, shutting her eyes and rubbing her temples. Emma sat back in her chair and looked over at Regina.

"You ok? Maybe we should call it a day." Regina glanced over at Emma, her eyes reddened from being so tired. Emma noticing and adding "and maybe to bed for you. Have you even slept the last few nights?" Regina shaking her head.

"I'm fine, I've just been, busy." Emma suddenly felt worried, realising the only time she'd actually seen Regina out of the house the last few days was at their vault meetings. Not around town, no visits at the sheriff's station, nothing.

"What's been going on?" Emma questioned. Regina suddenly got worried, realising Emma was taking a bit to much of an interest in her personal life. Regina snapped out of her brief haze.

"It really doesn't concern you, Emma, what is happening in my life, so thank you, but I'm fine." Regina's dark eyes staring directly into Emma's.

Emma could feel how cold Regina intended her stare to be, but instead she felt something warm, she didn't look into Regina's brown eyes and see empty darkness, she instead felt peace, like she could just get lost in that moment, the attention Regina was giving her. Emma looked down breaking that connection.

"Sorry, I" Emma mumbled and trailed off. "Let me know when you're feeling better," Emma quickly got up and exited the room, making her way out of the room. Regina watching the blonde walk quickly away from the room. She noticed that Emma seemed lost in that second that they locked eyes. Regina smirking after feeling like she had a certain power over Emma, but not control, more like intimidation, except Regina felt a small pang in her stomach that Emma left so quickly. She realised she probably didn't need to snap like that but Regina was worried that people would start to find out about her. She couldn't bring herself to tell Emma she knew how to transform creatures already. In some form.

\------

Emma got back to her apartment. She didn't think she was that worried about Regina, but Regina seemed a bit different today. Emma churning all the possibilities out loud to herself, seeing as no one else was home. "Ok, I did something wrong, I messed up, she's jealous, something happened with Henry, it's that time of the month, I said something, she's just taking some random shit out on me, she's tired from lack of sleep, it's something with her magic, it's a full moon, I have no idea!" Emma threw her hands up in the air, now pacing the kitchen floor. "You're a puzzle, Regina". Emma now thought back to Regina's stare, a small spark igniting itself in Emma's stomach again, the thought of Regina's undivided attention on her. Since when did that make Emma this nervous? She stopped pacing and placed her hands on the bench top. Since when did she care about how Regina felt? She only cared about Regina for Henry's sake, because she is Henry's other mum.

She took herself back to Regina's brown eyes, allowing herself to get lost in a brief daydream.

Emma was back in Regina's vault, their eyes connected, that warmth rushing back to Emma's body, Emma gets up and walks over to Regina, she kneels down next to her, reaching up to cup her face, Regina looking remorseful towards Emma, sorry that she had snapped like that. "Emma I". Regina whispers, Emma's hush ending the sentence. She moved closer to Regina, Emma's lips only an inch away from Regina's thick ones, Regina closing her eyes followed by Emma, Regina's breath on Emma's skin...

"Oh, hey I didn't realise you were home!" Snow exclaimed, snapping Emma back to reality, her eyes shooting side opened. Snow smiling at Emma as she took her key out of the door, Henry squeezing past Snow.

"Oh hey, yeah there wasn't anything to really do today down at the station so I just came home. I was just making lunch." Emma now realising she's heavily leaning on the bench now, her hands curled up in fists. She takes a step back and turns around to open the fridge.

You did not just imagine yourself kissing Regina, you won't ever speak if this with anyone. Emma thought to herself as she browsed for the cheese to make a sandwich.

\-------

Later that night, Regina was not feeling herself still. She was standing in her dark backyard along the edge of the pool, watching the calming waters move and dance beneath her. She stood there in a black and white striped bikini with a transparent wrap around her body. She sat down on the edge of the pool. She could feel the water inviting her to draw closer, calling for her body to make one with the small ripples, the water gently lapping against the edge of the pool. She hated it, the way it called her, how she felt when she turned. She took a deep breath, the fresh night air filling her lungs, slowly reaching her toes to the surface of the water. She could feel a tingling sensation creeping up her legs. She looked down at her legs, they were now covered in shimmery green scales. She took one last breath before lifting herself off the pool's edge and slipping herself into the water. As she sunk herself down to the bottom of the pool she held her breath, opening her eyes in the salt water, letting bubbles escape her lips. she turned around to look at her legs, where her legs used to be. And now before her appeared the most magnificent tail. Her scales a beautiful green shimmer with a deep purple, her fins spread out gracefully. Her bikini top had disappeared, glitter now covering her stomach and her breasts, her nipples were hard in the cool salt water. Regina hated that nothing stayed on her whilst she transformed. She needed to remember to bring an extra swimsuit with her.

Yes, she could transform into a mermaid. By nearing herself to make contact with the salt water she transformed, meaning she now had to be careful not to be splashed. She would have to quickly react to not transform, by using heat to evaporate the remaining drips to avoid being caught. Thankfully it hadn't happened yet. And she didn't plan on it happening either.

That was the secret she couldn't let Emma know, that she could transform herself, that she wasn't even what she considered a whole human anymore. She felt cursed.


End file.
